A problem commonly encountered with the use of the conventional clothes dryer or the like is the disposal of lint separated from the clothes during the drying process. Frequently the exhaust gases from the dryer, together with the lint, dust particles, and the like, are merely dispersed into the atmosphere. Many of these known devices require water in a container without maintaining a water level, thus causing back pressure at times or too much clearance letting lint escape into the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,276, filed Sep. 27, 1989 by Robert Walsh discloses an air filter and humidifier combined using a water container causing maintenance problems. Further the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,127, filed Sep. 21, 1990 consists of a lint bag to catch the lint after cleaning the inner bag filter. It is re-usable. The bag would need to be cleaned after each load to be effective, that being an inconvenience to keep it cleaned. Further in U.S Pat. No. 2,825,148, issued Mar. 4, 1958, to E.C. Olsen, comprises a lint filter to trap the lint but which uses water in cleaning the filter--thus using an outside water supply along with drain pipes--making it not comparable. Further U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,340, filed Aug. 11, 1988, by Alan Gutschmit, a lint control apparatus more for industrial use has no easy means for cleaning. U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,018, issued Nov. 19, 1963 to J.J. Bonner and U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,485, issued to Richard J. Genessi: Both patents are using water to trap the lint.
The aforementioned patent application Ser. No. 07/944,532, by the present inventor, overcomes many of the deficiencies of the above noted prior art and includes a unique and unusual lint filter, however, the present invention incorporates elimination of parts and includes an improved lint filter apparatus.